'Israel' unprepared for confronting Iranian UAVs en masse: Media

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The Israeli occupation is unprepared to combat Iranian drones in large numbers, Israeli media said on Tuesday amid growing fears in "Tel Aviv" of Tehran's growing aerial capabilities.

"We might see the likes of these drones launched on the northern borders soon. This is a threat that must be taken into consideration," Israeli Channel 13 said regarding the Iranian drones reportedly deployed in Ukraine.

Makor Rishon newspaper military columnist Noam Amir told Channel 13 that Lebanon's Hezbollah had a large number of the drones in question, as well as the capabilities to launch them due to its diverse knowledge. "It can do that whenever it wants," he underlined.

"All [Hezbollah] has to do is take the decision - when to launch, how to launch, and the payload that each of the drones should have," Amir added.

"I am not sure Israel can deal with large numbers of these drones," the military affairs expert said in response to a question about whether "Israel" had better equipment than Ukraine to deal with the Iranian loitering munition UAVs.

"In the end, we have to mention that this small tool may not have that huge a payload, but it has a small device that enables it to hit its target," Amir underscored.

"In a scenario where a thousand rockets are launched, including long-ranged ones, and 10 of these drones are launched toward a strategic target, such as a gas rig, an airport that is close to the borders, or a strategic structure in the north, they will hit the bullseye," he said.

It is true that the Israeli security establishment relies on quantity and quality while knowing how to intercept a large number of aerial targets, he said, but "so far, in the face of numbers this huge, is unprepared and would not be able to intercept them."

"The majority of the Israeli air defense systems will not be directed toward civilian areas, but strategic ones," the military expert added.

Israeli media said Monday that the alleged Iranian Shahed-136 drone proved to be a worthy foe for the Ukrainian military in the Ukraine war, highlighting that Iran's innovation was sparking concerns within the Israeli occupation.

The Israeli occupation, concerned by Tehran bolstering its status as an arms manufacturer on a global scale, is providing Kiev with intelligence on the Iranian drones being used in Ukraine, The New York Times reported last week.

Despite Israeli and Ukrainian claims about alleged Iranian drones being used in the war in Ukraine, Tehran has repeatedly denied such accusations.

Iranian drones started to fly over Ukraine for the first time a few weeks ago. The drones flew from Crimea, according to Andriana Arekhta, a first sergeant in the Ukrainian armed forces, and headed to attack a special forces unit fighting near the southern city of Kherson.

Reportedly, Russia is chiefly using the Shahed-136/Geran-2 type kamikaze drone against Ukraine, with many reports surfacing about the matter in recent days. According to Frantzman, for all anyone knows, Russia could have ordered thousands of the drones, or could even be manufacturing them locally.

A Ukrainian fighter jet crashed in the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine on Wednesday, Kiev's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) confirmed on Thursday following reports on the issue.

The fighter jet in question is a MiG-29K, which was sent out to intercept Shahed-136 UAVs, according to the Ukrainian bureau.